Winning Over Erk
by Bishop Sasarai
Summary: Canas doesn't want to have any more regrets in his life, so when he falls for Erk, he decides to try and woo him. CanasxErk, rating will probably go up at later chapters. Chapter 4 up! HIATUS.
1. Decision

**Winning Over Erk**

**By Bishop Sasarai**

**Summary: **Canas wants no more regrets in his life, so when he falls for Erk, he has plans to win him over. Will his plans backfire, or succeed?

**Pairing: **Canas/Erk

**Note:** Generic Disclaimer Here This is a belated b-day fic for my brother, who is absolutely in love with Canas. He also likes Raven/Lucius, but I've seen the stories written here, and I'm afraid I can't compare, so that's how this came about! Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions.

**Winning Over Erk**

**Part One: The Decision**

Canas sat among a pile of thick, archaic books, scattered documents, and half-opened scrolls curling into themselves. Behind his ear rested a quill pen and a bottle of ink lay on its side on the floor, seeping thick black ink on the wooden floor beneath it, forgotten by the magic scholar. Opening one of the thick books entitled _The Usage and History of the Black Arts_, Canas sighed in pure pleasure. The larger the words in a book, the more he enjoyed reading them. He delighted in finding new words for his expansive vocabulary, and this book, he could tell, would be full of new words that were long since pronounced obsolete. But to Canas, they were new.

Just as Canas was about to dive right into the book, the heavy oak doors of the library were edged open and Erk's slight figure slid through. He looked flushed and out of breath, and also distinctly hunted, which only meant one thing: Serra. Erk rested his back to the now-closed doors of the library for a second while catching his breath and hugging the small stack of books in his arms to his chest. Looking around, his eyes caught Canas' and for just a second, he looked as if he was contemplating running off again. Canas wondered at this. He'd never really sided with Serra before, why should he give Erk's hiding place away now?

"Canas," Erk nodded at him, as he pushed away from the doors and made his way over to the long, paper-covered table Canas occupied. Canas moved aside a tangle of scrolls on the history of Etruria to make room for Erk's books.

"So," Canas said, adjusting his monocle. "What brings you here? Besides Serra hunting you down?"

"Really," Erk said as he set his books down carefully and took an available seat across from Canas. "It's not the best place for me to go. But I figure if she _thinks_ I'll be here, she'll think I'll think that, too, and go somewhere more unlikely..." Erk trailed off and let his forehead fall into his palm. "I sound just like her, don't I?"

"Somewhat, yes," Canas agreed amiably. "What books have you got there?"

"Just some magic tomes," Erk answered offhandedly. "What are _you _studying?" Erk examined the sea of paper all around them.

"Oh, several different things at once," Canas replied, his eyes lighting up. "I find that I acquire knowledge more efficiently when I study several subjects at one time, that way I won't get bored with one subject and move on, rather I read what sounds interesting to me, when it appeals to me."

"Sounds rather confusing to me," Erk said. "I like to take my time on one subject, to make sure that I know everything there is to know about it. I've never had to go back in my research."

"Well, we all have our ways," Canas conceded. "You know, I've heard a lot about you from Lord Pent and Lady Louise. They say that as a child, you would lock yourself in your room for hours at a time without stopping for food or drink. Is this true?"

"It is," Erk nodded. "I like to keep to myself for the most part."

"Hmm, me too," Canas said. "But... It won't be an easy life for you. You know, we're both scholars of magic, you and I. Would you like to study together? It will make for better conversation."

"You converse with yourself?" Erk rose a disbelieving eyebrow.

"At times, yes," Canas answered unabashedly. "I find a human voice to be a bit memorable than the cold text of the book at times, even if it's my own."

Erk tilted his head to think about it for a moment, his slightly curled hair falling into his eyes and a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. Canas smiled at him, even though he wasn't watching. The younger mage was really quite cute in his own way.

"Hmm," Erk looked up and was startled to see the affectionate smile being aimed his way. His cheeks warmed and he stared back down at the papers. Picking one up, he saw it was about Etruria.

"I probably know anything you need to know about Etruria," Erk said, before chancing a glance up again. Canas looked eager as a puppy.

"Really? Is that a yes to my query, then?"

Erk sighed. Why was he always roped into these things? "For now, I suppose."

At that, the two began a question and answer session about Etruria, which was actually a welcome opportunity for Erk to brush up on his previous studies. After that, they chatted about the differences in their decisions to study magic, and what each category of magic meant to each other, and others they'd met. Erk found himself enjoying himself for once, and Canas very much liked the chance to talk to someone intelligent about all that he had learned.

Before they knew it, it was late, and the castle was quiet. Erk got up to look out the window and saw it was probably around two or three in the morning.

"I hope we don't have to do battle tomorrow," Canas yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "I'll probably fall asleep and get my head lopped off."

Erk yawned too. "Stop yawning, Canas. It's contagious."

Really?" Canas perked up. "Is it a known fact?"

Erk nodded, yawning again. He came over to the table and laid his head on his arms.

"I really am tired..."

"I can tell," Canas said softly, reaching over to ruffle the younger mage's hair. Erk's eyes half-closed.

"Don't think I'll be able to go to my room..." Erk mumbled.

"That's okay," Canas smiled. "I can watch over you."

"Not that I need you to, or anything," Erk said, embarrassed. "Usually I'm not so easily tired, but I was up late last night as well..."

"Ah, studying?"

"Something like that."

"Well, go to sleep. You'll be fine, I promise."

Erk closed his eyes...

The sun shone through the long windows of the library and onto the sleeping figure of Erk, curled around the spellbooks. His hair had fallen across one eye and shone softly lavender and violet and amethyst in the pale morning light. Canas was draped in a chair by the windows, watching him. There was a small leather-bound book in his hand, which he wrote in with his elegant, slanted script every so often. He found that watching a sleeping Erk had made for some fascinating observations, as well as opening the door to an old secret he'd long since shoved away in the corners of his mind.

He wasn't sure if opening the door would prove to be a positive or negative discovery, but he was game for either, because life was all about experiences and he didn't want to lose out on the opportunity to experience this, as he had once before. Canas wasn't in the slightest tired anymore; he was actually eager to see if Erk would reciprocate these feelings. It _was_ a bit of a risky venture, considering if things were to fall out between them, there would be no turning back. And if things went _really_ sour, then Canas would just have to go elsewhere. He saw no other option, and since he'd be the one to initiate it, he should be the one to leave if the consequences were dire.

Canas wondered why he was still considering doing this. Almost all of the results he could think of were bad. He would no longer have a 'study buddy' as it were, he might have to leave his well-adjusted life here, and even if things went well, he'd be committing two crimes:

One: he had a wife.

Two: Erk was, well, underage.

Wow, he was officially a pervert now. He wondered why he still found this humorous.

Canas knew why, really. Why he was taking this gamble. Only once had he felt this way when looking at someone, and he had let it pass. It was the biggest regret of his life. But now, it was as if fate had meant for that to happen. He had another chance. He didn't want to die regretting that he'd missed this chance, too. And so, he was going to do this incredibly stupid thing. He was going to try to win over Erk.

He didn't know where to start, but research had always been his forte. He watched Erk, still sleeping on, innocent and unaware of what was going on in his companion's mind, and he almost felt guilty. Really. His regrets from the past should not have sucked Erk into it, but Canas had no intention of backing out now.

As he watched, it was apparent that Erk was now waking. He was wrinkling his nose at the sun in his face, and moved his arm to shield his eyes from it. Canas felt a strange thrill course through him. _This is the beginning_, he thought.

"Hopefully not the beginning of the end," he mused aloud.

Erk, sitting up and rubbing his sleep-filled eyes, looked at him funny, then yawned sleepily.

"I can't believe I slept here all night," Erk groaned. "I hurt in places I didn't even know I _had_," he paused. "And what were you talking about, 'the beginning of the end'? Is there going to be another apocalypse?"

"If you mean another Serra-outburst, it's inevitable," Canas remarked with a grin. "But, no. I was just... mumbling to myself."

Erk gave him another funny look, then stretched and ran his fingers through his wavy, violet hair. His stomach made a sudden, rude growling noise and Erk looked embarrassed.

"I didn't eat dinner last night," he explained. "I guess I'm falling back into old habits."

Canas smiled. "Perhaps. Erk, I have a question."

Erk glanced at him, mildly curious. "What is it?"

"Have you ever had a relationship? I mean a romantic relationship, to be specific."

Erk stared at him. "No," he said finally. "I thought you could figure that out. What girl would approach me? ... Besides Serra, I mean."

"Yes, and I've seen how prickly you can be," Canas agreed. "But you can be quite charming at times. I've seen you with Priscilla, for example."

Erk rolled his eyes in a decidedly uncharming manner. "I expected her to be another Serra...and I tried to please her before she started yabbering like a Chihuahua.

Canas tapped his quill pen against his chin. "Hmm... What kind of person do you think it would take for you to be, ah, intimate with?"

Erk now glared at him. Are you trying to set me up with someone? And anyway, how's _your _sex-life? Your wife must miss you to bits."

"Ah, sarcasm," Canas said, taking the quill pen and tucking it behind his ear to minimize the distraction it presented. "I expected as much from you. As I said, prickly, prickly. And to answer your question, my sex-life is non-existent and my wife probably wouldn't know me from the backend of a horse."

"And you say all this so cheerfully," Erk replied dryly. "It's sweet of you to love your wife so much."

"Isn't it?" Canas replied with sunny sarcasm to counter Erk's dark tone. "She does get dreadfully lonely, you know."

"I bet." Erk crossed the room to gather his books from the table. "Well, it was fun while it lasted," Erk hugged the stack to his chest. "But I'm going now. I've really got to eat."

Canas watched him go, almost mournfully. But now, he'd have time for his research.

Canas picked up the leather-bound book, then looked everywhere for his quill pen before he realized it was tucked behind his ear. Then he couldn't find his damned ink bottle. Until he stepped into the puddle of inky goodness.

Sighing, Canas cursed his forgetfulness. He was good-natured to a fault, but really, if he didn't pull his absentminded head out of the clouds, he was liable to get himself into some real trouble.

Going to the cupboards, he rummaged around until he found a bottle—of pink ink. Canas stared at it for a long moment, wondering why it was there in the first place, but decided he'd have to use it.

Putting on his cloak with a swirl of dark cloth (he had a flair for dramatics); he headed for the door to find some information on how to win over Erk.

* * *

Well, that's the end of Part One. It's really short... isn't it? Oh well, the next part is longer! And it's also when the ball really starts rolling! It's a strange couple... so I won't lie. It's a hard fic to write. I hope nobody was OOC. Reviews appreciated, teku. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, you can find my original work at , under the name Queen of Cyrum/Sasarai. Or something like that. (I forgot to put this on my bio and I'm too lazy to do it right now.)


	2. Research

**Winning Over Erk**

**By Bishop Sasarai**

**Summary: **Canas wants no more regrets in his life, so when he falls for Erk, he has plans to win him over. Will his plans backfire, or succeed?

**Pairings: **Canas/Erk

**Winning Over Erk**

**Part Two: Research**

Canas was halfway down the hall when he spied Serra stalking towards him.

"He was with you, wasn't he???" she screeched.

"Who was with me?" Canas asked, trying to appear innocent. Serra didn't fall for it.

"You know who!!!" She stomped her tiny foot on the floor. "I heard about it from Priscilla. She caught him sleeping in the library."

Canas stopped to think that one out. Had Priscilla ever come in? She had. He recalled her look of affection when she saw the young Anima mage sleeping soundly amid the stacks of books and research material. Wait. Research. Serra would be a perfect candidate.

"Serra, I know this is off topic, but... what do you know of Erk?"

"Aha! See, I knew it! He _was_ with you last night!" she pointed at him in triumph. Canas shook his head in exasperation.

"So I was. Now, can you answer my question, please?"

"Um, what do I know of Erkie?" Serra pressed her index finger to her lower lip and looked up at the ceiling, in deep thought. At least, deep for Serra. "Um, what's there to know about Erk?"

"Well, how does Erk feel about Legault?"

"_Legault?"_

"Yes. I am conducting a survey. I maintain all confidentiality, of course."

"Well, he doesn't say _anything_ about Legault. Should he? Did Legault send you?" She gave Canas a suspicious look.

"No, and I already told you why I'm asking these questions."

"I think one day he said, kinda outta the blue, that he wished he could be as free-spirited. That's about it. I think he's just jealous that all he does is read, read, read, and Legault has all the fun."

"What do you mean?" Canas asked, taking out his book and scribbling in it with the pink ink.

"Is that _pink_?" Serra squealed.

"It is."

"Well, anyway, what I meant was, Erk is sooooo _dull_. Don't you think sometimes, he'd like to be somebody else for a day?"

"Like Legault?"

"Well, actually, I was thinking me, but sure. Legault would work. But I think Legault is a bit swishy, if you know what I mean. Once, I _think_—and don't go spreading this around—I _think_ I caught him with Heath. You know that wyvern rider? Yeah. I think I caught them _kissing_ and _making out_." Serra said the last few words like they were taboo or something.

Canas nodded and wrote this down. Serra peered over his shoulder, but Canas turned so she couldn't read it. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"You didn't get that from me, okay?"

"Sure," Canas murmured. "I saw them myself a few times."

"_Really_?!" Serra squeaked.

"No, but that's my story."

"Your story—Oh! I get it! Heehee." Serra had that gleam in her eye. "Hey, why are you asking about how Erk feels about Legault?"

"No reason."

"Oh, really?" Serra bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I think someone has feelings for Erkie!"

Canas could feel his cheeks warming. "I... You have no proof!"

He turned and was going to bolt, but he tripped on his own robes.

"Aaaaiieeeee!!!" he cried, as he tried to catch the bottle of ink and the leather-bound book as they went flying and he went sprawling. Serra caught the ink bottle, and the book skidded across the floor. With a mischievous sparkle in her eye, Serra dived for it, just as Canas tried to get up and get it first... The top of his head collided with her chin and they both fell back onto the floor. Serra nearly dropped the ink bottle, but she kept a grip on it at the last moment.

"Ouch!" Serra yelped, but she wasn't out of the game yet. She kicked Canas in the side as viciously as a priestess could (which was pretty damn hard) and snatched the book, just as Canas' reaching fingers clutched at air.

"Serra, give it back," Canas said in a warning tone. Serra dismissed him with a foot planted in his face as she stood up.

"Hmm, let's see here..." Serra thumbed through the book. "What have we here? 'Plans to Win over Erk'? Are you serious? I was right!" Serra continued to look through the book. "Hah! What's this?" She turned the pages she was looking at so that Canas could see what she was talking about. Canas groaned and smacked his head on the floor.

They were sketches of Erk. He'd started drawing him a few months back. He was a fascinating model. At least, that's what he'd told himself until he'd actually gotten to know Erk.

"How cuuute!" Serra danced in a circle. "But Erkie never says anything about you that makes it look the other way around! In fact, I doubt he thinks about _anyone_ in a romantic way."

Canas' face must have looked visibly disappointed, because Serra smiled in what she probably thought was a sympathetic way, though it actually looked quite patronizing.

"Don't worry! I'm a priestess of St. Elimine! That means I can't turn my back on a poor demented soul!"

"...Don't you mean 'tormented'?" Canas interjected.

Serra gave him a Look. "No. I mean DEMENTED."

"Okay, okay. Then how do you propose you'll help me?"

"Romance lessons from yours truly!" Serra pointed at herself with a toothy grin.

"Somehow, I really don't think this is going to work..."

Serra grabbed his shoulder. Hard. She dug her nails into his shoulder blade.

"_What_ did you say?"

"Nothing, Serra. What are we going to do first?"

"First, you have to find out what makes Erkie really happy. Like, does he like moonlit walks along the bay? Or is he a wine and dine kinda guy?"

Canas bit his lip from saying that was exactly what he'd been attempting to do.

"To do this, you have to talk to him, and read into what he says. Also, while you're talking to him, do something sexy and see how he reacts."

"Like what? And please don't give me tips from Cosmopolitan and RedBook."

Serra frowned. "But you have to!" she whined. "It'll be fun! I mean, it will help to see what his reaction to you is. So I suggest that you..."

* * *

Canas was unsure of this whole business. The thought of actually... making any moves on Erk made his insides twist. Of course, it wasn't a _bad_ feeling, but nonetheless, if he scared Erk off, there wouldn't be any second tries. Serra was sure of how he was going to react, but Canas obviously wasn't. He was beginning to wonder why he'd ever decided to make this gamble at all. But then again, he certainly didn't want to regret _not_ doing it, so here he was, outside the room Erk occupied. He brought his hand up to knock on the door when it suddenly opened with a violent bang. Canas leapt back as Serra fled the room, a book following in hot pursuit.

Serra dodged the book and hid behind Canas, who took the brunt of the rather heavy tome on _How to Become an Archsage. _Erk, looking disheveled and flustered, appeared at the door and paled when he saw that Canas had taken the hit and was now protecting Serra, in a manner of speaking.

"Canas? What are you doing here?" Canas was a little pleased at the surprise in Erk's voice; at least it was a disbelieving sort of surprise, rather than an unhappy one. Canas also noticed that Erk had apparently just taken a shower. His violet hair was dark and shone wet in the sun streaming in the window, and Canas held back a deep longing to curl his fingers into the soft, half-dried tendrils at the base of Erk's neck and around his ears. Erk seemed not to notice Canas' wistful look, as he turned his gaze on Serra. His look was decidedly less warm—as in cold as a glacier—when he glared at her.

"I've told you a _hundred _times to knock!"

Serra looked back at him innocently. "How was I to know you were fresh out of the shower?"

"That's why you _knock_, Serra," Erk said through clenched teeth, his cheeks turning red.

Canas felt his own cheeks warm at the thought of Erk, well... a few minutes before. It was then that he noticed Serra had a small book Canas recognized as Erk's up one of her sleeves. Before he could even comment, Serra winked at Canas and smiled mischievously at Erk.

"Well!" she said, sidling away, and waving two fingers at the boys. "Have fun! Toodles!"

She raced off and Canas marveled at how fast she could run in her robes.

"Maybe I should consider cutting and hemming mine..." he murmured, chin in hand.

"Umm, hey," Erk's voice brought him back to the present.

"Hello," Canas said, turning back and smiling. He felt a nervous flutter in his stomach. Erk looked taken aback by his smile.

"Wh-what?" Erk asked, looking as nervous as Canas felt.

"Well, I stopped by for a chat," Canas said brightly. "I enjoyed our talk yesterday."

"You did?" Erk's astonishment caught Canas by surprise. Of _course_ he had, but Erk wasn't a mind reader.

"Yes, I did," Canas smiled, his eyes warming. "Do you mind...?" Canas gestured behind Erk to the room.

"Oh, um, yeah! I mean, no. Err, come in," Erk stood aside and let Canas in, shutting the door behind him.

Canas somehow felt more relaxed now that he could see Erk was nervous. But why was he nervous? It wasn't like him.

"So," Canas hefted the book that had been thrown at him earlier. "You want to become the next Archsage?"

"Maybe," Erk replied. "I haven't really made up my mind. I could just end up a scholar forever."

"No, that's me. I think you could be much more."

"Huh," Erk said, as he dragged himself onto his bed. "Sometimes, I wonder."

"About you, or me?"

Erk blushed for some reason at this. "About me. I mean, why would I wonder about you?"

Canas moved over to sit beside Erk. "Why wouldn't you?" He was surprised at the softness of his voice. "I wonder about you."

Erk was silent for a long time. Canas wondered if he'd said something wrong. Maybe... Maybe he'd sounded like a come-on line?

Erk cleared his throat. "Well... Well... I guess I _do_ wonder about you. I mean, why did you choose to be a scholar at all? And for that matter, why choose to be a shaman? No that I'm questioning your choice of magic study, or anything..." Erk set his chin in his palms. But, I guess it's sort of weird to think of you as a dark person. You're sort of a geek, I guess. I'm not much better though. That wasn't an insult, by the way," Erk blushed again, realizing he was babbling. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Sounds like you've been thinking a lot about me," Canas observed. Erk looked caught in a trap, and tried to hide his face with his hair.

"Well, I..." he turned away.

Canas reached over and took Erk's chin in his hand. "You—you have a crush on me," Canas realized. He didn't know _why_ it had never occurred to him before... It seemed so obvious now. Erk's eyes were dark and scared, and he wrenched away from Canas, but his blush burned bright, and the way he slightly trembled was a dead giveaway. Canas was _right_. Why did he ever think he'd have to seduce him?

"I do not," Erk said stubbornly, sliding off the bed and crossing the room. He was carefully avoiding looking at Canas.

Well, maybe he'd still have to seduce him, but it didn't seem as hard a task any more, now that he saw Erk felt something. Sort of like igniting an existing spark... Canas felt his lips curl up. It seemed kind of fun, now that he thought of it.

"Erk—"

"Could you please... just leave?" Erk said, sounding muffled. Canas felt his heart constrict. Had he hurt him somehow? He hadn't even attempted Serra's suggestion, which was, indeed, seduction. Of course, the things he should have done didn't sound too bad to Canas, either.

"Wait. Listen to me, Erk," Canas tried again.

"Can I listen to you _later_? I really just want to be alone."

"Fine. I'm going," Canas said in resignation. He got up and went to the door, casting one last glance at Erk. He hated to leave things this way, but... Canas opened the door and left.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

Canas was in the library when Serra edged in, looking quite excited.

"Hey, hey! Look what I have!" Serra waved the book she'd hidden in her sleeve earlier.

"What is it?" Canas asked mildly, adjusting his monocle as he looked up.

"It's Erkie's _diary_! And guess what?"

"Erk has a crush on me?" Canas asked tiredly.

"How d'ya guess?" Serra looked crestfallen.

"Just lucky, I guess."

Serra cocked her head to one side and stared at Canas. "Okay, what happened?"

"Nothing, really," Canas began.

"Oh, shut up! I can tell something went wrong. You look depressed!"

"It's just... I think he's... upset."

"Well, duh. I saw _him _earlier, too. I told him he looked like his best friend died, and he didn't even make any smart remarks. What exactly did you say?"

"Not much, really. I just realized..."

"Yeah, well. Read Erkie's diary. You'll understand him a bit more."

"But, that's invading his privacy..."

"So what? He won't mind. Probably."

Canas couldn't help it. He snatched the book from Serra before he changed his mind and had some morals.

Opening the book, he skimmed through the first part, until he caught a glimpse of his name.

_We recruited some new guy named Canas. He's a scholar, like me, but a lot older. _

"Hey now," Canas remarked. "He thinks I'm a geezer."

Serra snickered.

_He seems to be pretty dedicated, but then I could be mistaken. I thought Bartre was smart, until he opened his mouth and spoke. Damn, I never met anyone as dumb as he is. Actually, now that I think of it...He even looks dumb. But that could be because I've heard him speak. Back to Canas, though. I really can't explain it, but I feel a little strange when I look at him. Maybe he could teach me a bit about the Dark Arts. Lord Pent was never really good at that stuff, but then again, neither am I. I'm a little curious as to the differences in the incantations. Also, I've often wondered what it was that made me become an Anima mage. Besides having Lord Pent for a Master, since he's an Anima mage. In turn, what makes one devote their life to the Dark Arts? I feel corny just thinking this, let alone writing it, but Canas and I may be kindred spirits. Devoting one's life to study isn't something I see too often. _

Canas turned the pages until he saw another piece that caught his eye.

_Canas and I spoke the other day, about the differences in incantations, and spell components. He has some fascinating theories, and I have to say, I am intrigued as to how he thinks. He is very intelligent, although he is a bit clumsy. In the time that I spoke to him, he tripped twice and lost his monocle three times. I didn't ask, but I wonder why he wears it? I'd feel rude asking... _

Canas remembered this conversation. It had been interesting, and Canas had found what _Erk_ had to say intriguing. He'd also been a tad distracted by the way Erk had looked at times. Canas flipped ahead and found the next piece extremely interesting.

_Today, I am officially wierded out. I was out with Priscilla and she was going on and on about Raven. I decided not to comment in the off chance he was standing nearby, but really, I was thinking of what a drip she sounded like. As we walked, I spied Canas in the forest, sleeping. He had his usual sea of paper surrounding him, but he was definitely asleep. It looked like he'd fallen asleep while reading, as there was a book laying across his chest. His monocle had fallen off and he looked so peaceful, in the tranquil quiet of the forest. And then I thought of what a drip I was being! I wonder now, what this means?_

Canas rubbed his chin. He wondered if he should keep reading. There was ample evidence here...

* * *

To be continued!

A/n: Sorry so short, but longer than the first, I think... I've never been good with where to stop, either a whole fic or a chapter... But it seemed a dramatic place to leave off! Hope I'm still in character. Canas and Erk are rather adorable, now that I think of it, and you guys are right... Canas is horribly naïve, isn't he? But then, so is Erk... Well, you'll see. Please review?


	3. The Plan Goes Awry?

**Winning Over Erk**

**By Bishop Sasarai**

**Summary: **Canas wants no more regrets in his life, so when he falls for Erk, he has plans to win him over. Will his plans backfire, or succeed?

**Pairings: **Canas/Erk

**Notes:** Yeah, sorry for the long wait, but I lost my internet, AND the computer with the story saved into it… So it's been hell and a half trying to remember everything that I wrote and adding new things and such…

**Winning Over Erk**

**Part Three: The Plan Goes Awry?**

Canas was eating his dinner with the others at one of the long tables in the castle's dining room. Across from him sat Serra, annoyingly enough, though Canas was trying to block her out as best he could. It wasn't working.

"So! Anyway!" she said in her high-pitched voice. "Then I was like, No way! He didn't say that! And he was like, Yeah, he did. I heard it with my own ears! Anyway… Are you even listening to me at all, Canas?"

Canas shook himself from his daydreamy state and smiled at Serra indulgently. "Of course I was listening! What did he say next?"

It was the right thing to say, apparently, for she beamed at him and launched into another tirade (or _was_ it the right thing to say?). Canas scanned the room for Erk, but he didn't seem to be anywhere. He felt a deep regret for having scared the younger mage off. So there was such a thing as coming on too strong…

"What's wrong with you _now_?" Serra asked. Canas looked at her, startled.

"H-huh? I'm not sure… I know what you're talking about."

"You do!" she cried, pointing at him accusingly. "I just heard you sigh! You're thinking about _him_, aren't you?"

"Well, yes," he admitted. It would only be worse if he denied it, he was sure.

"I knew it!" she crowed wickedly, her eyes gleaming with a scary light. "And he's acting weird too! So, why don't you two quit mooning over one another and just have at it?!"

Canas stared at her. She had… absolutely _the_ worst manners in the world. How in the world she had become a priestess was a mystery to him.

"You're speechless."

"Serra. Please…" Canas began stacking his books, preparing to leave. "I need some time… alone," he said, unconsciously repeating Erk's earlier words to him. What he really wanted to do was shake her and scream, "SERRA, have you no _shame_? Leave me alone already and let me think in peace!" But he kept his thoughts to himself. He was a peace-loving man, and he had no desire to get a tiny little whirlwind like Serra on his bad side. _Nobody_ wanted to be on Serra's bad side.

Serra pulled a face, but stayed where she was as Canas stood. Canas breathed an inward sigh of relief as he left the kitchens with no incident. Erk… What should he do about these feelings…? Erk apparently had a crush on him, which was…great, as far as Cana was concerned. But the vulnerability on his face when he had last saw him… Made him want to hug him. He saw nothing wrong with that. But there were evidently some hurdles he would have to jump to make Erk feel comfortable in his presence again, and Canas wasn't very good at jumping.

But he was good at thinking, and right now, his thoughts were moving at such a fast pace it was no wonder he was more scatterbrained than usual. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so careless as to walk in on what he next saw.

Opening the door to the library, Canas already felt at home, for nobody ever came to the library for whatever reason. Except Canas. And Erk. Perhaps other magic-users did, too, but Canas could not recall any at this moment. So, Canas felt he was justified in not having to knock or check that anyone was already occupying the room. Until that moment. He looked up after he had closed the library door to see an entangled mess of red, blue, white, and yellow on the couch. Raven was on top of Lucius, and it was looking more and more like an intimate moment that Canas would rather have not seen. But—and he felt a pervert just thinking it—it fascinated him, too.

Lucius's golden hair was spread across the couch, his robes hanging open; Canas thought he could even see a nipple—and he had one leg up, cupping Raven's hard body to his. Lucius had an arm around Raven's neck, Raven was kissing Lucius so passionately he hadn't even noticed somebody come into the room— unusual for the normally vigilant Raven. Canas adjusted his monocle nervously. He knew he shouldn't be here… But oh, now he saw that Raven had wandering hands, touching Lucius like he would never see him again.

Canas felt as though his entire body was on fire all of a sudden. It had never been like that with his wife… He couldn't help but realize that. Hah, love was indeed every bit as complicated as he'd heard it was… His thoughts returned to Erk, sleeping. He felt even hotter. He tugged at his collar and inched backwards toward the door, hoping to whatever saint was listening—probably the pervert saint—that Raven would not look up and see his exit. He fumbled for the door handle, and once his hand settled on it, quickly turned it. He finally tore his gaze from the lusty scene before him and whisked himself out of the library as quickly as he could manage in his robes—without tripping. And hallelujah! He made it out withour stepping on his robes!

Then there was the chore of closing the door silently…

"Hello, Canas," Priscilla's voice sounded from down the hall. Canas jerked in surprise, slamming the door closed violently. He froze. But quickly, he regained his composure and jogged over to Priscilla, grabbing her wrist as he went. The two rushed down the hall as fast as Canas could muster. Priscilla looked over her shoulder, confused.

"What's going on?" she cried, confused.

"Just trust me!" Canas huffed, not stopping until they were well down two flights of stairs and on the opposite side of the building, just in case. Canas finally let go of Priscilla and collapsed into an old leather chair in the hall, breathing hard. It took him a few moments to gain his breath back, all the while Priscilla was looking at him oddly and asking what was going on.

"It's nothing," Canas lied when he got his breath back. "Nothing at all!"

"Are you sure?" Priscilla asked, not convinced. After all the running they'd just done, she knew something was up. She wasn't that stupid. But Canas couldn't very well tell her the brother she was in love with was making out—quite passionately! Mind you—with that monk she'd never trusted in the first place. "Does it have something to do with Erk?" Priscilla asked, looking worried.

"Y-YES! Yes! It has to do with Er—!" Canas looked up, but his tone of relief at an out faltered when he saw Erk coming into the hallway.

Erk, who had been walking at a brisk pace, was now slowing down because he had heard his name. He looked at Priscilla and Canas in confusion.

"Erk!" Canas smiled as graciously as he could. "We were just talking about you!"

"And what were you talking about?" Erk asked, lifting an eyebrow and looking wary. He still didn't seem able to make eye contact with Canas. Canas was sorry for that. He rather liked having Erk's trust. And there was nobody to blame for the dissolution of that trust except himself and his indiscriminate mouth.

"Well, we ran…" Priscilla started to say, but Canas quickly interjected with, "We were just saying that you're a very talented mage, and that if anyone was to become an arch sage in our time, it would be you."

Canas could see Priscilla turn to look at him with a questioning gaze, and she even opened her mouth as if to ask something, but she seemed to think better of it, and turned back to Erk without saying anything, merely smiling encouragingly and putting her hands behind her back primly as though they would give her away.

"Hmph. Well aren't you all getting ahead of yourselves," Erk said in that sarcastic tone of his. "I haven't even decided what I want to do with my life and here you two are acting like my parents."

His gaze now pierced Canas, and Canas was sure that he was saying '_You're old enough to be my dad, you pervert_' in eye code. Canas felt his heart sink. What had he done wrong? Oh yes… He had blurted out someone's feelings without considering the consequences. Canas sat up straight in the chair, and put out a hand to Erk. Erk looked at him, puzzled.

"Come here for a moment, Erk," Canas said, beckoning with his fingers. Canas didn't know what he'd said, but Erk turned all kinds of red and backed away, hitting the wall behind him.

Canas regarded Erk with bewildered eyes. "I don't mean anything by it," Canas said, unsure of what he'd done wrong in this instance. "Or by what I said yesterday. Perhaps I was mistaken. But surely saying something such as I did should not ruin our blossoming friendship, Erk."

Erk seemed to mull this over. "Good point…" he said tentatively. "I suppose I was just… over-reacting."

"I should not have crossed those lines," Canas bowed his head in apology. "And I am sorry."

"It's all right," Erk shuffled closer now. "I've been acting like a fool lately." He seemed truly embarrassed by his behavior. Canas wished that Erk did not have to feel embarrassed… And now he was starting to feel like he was in the wrong… His assumption… Had it truly been correct? But how could he have misunderstood what was written in the boy's journal? Was it possible that Erk hadn't written it? But who could have…? _Serra!_ It all came back to Serra! After all, he hadn't heard Erk complain about the journal being missing, and Canas still had it in his bag…

Serra…

But… Canas thought back to Raven and Lucius and felt those deliciously hot chills… (_What an oxymoron_, he thought, right after thinking the words, _hot chills_…) The thought of having Erk's body beneath his… His loins tightened almost painfully, and he was glad that his head was still bowed. He was sure his expression would speak for itself.

"Are you okay, Canas?" Priscilla asked with concern laced in her voice. Despite all the oddness around her, she still thought of others' health, Canas mused. That was very sweet of her, but…

"Yes, yes. I'm fine," Canas said, allowing the feeling of lust to ebb away. He felt it was safe enough to look back up. Erk, he observed, was looking at him as oddly as Priscilla was. "Really," he assured them. "I'm fine. Just a bit of a… a stomach ache… I think I had too much to eat at breakfast…"

"Are you sure you don't need some medicine?" Erk asked. "You look… feverish."

"Yes, you do," Priscilla added worriedly. "I have something for that…" she began to search her bag. Canas threw his hands up into the air in surrender.

"Actually, now that you two mention it, I don't feel so great. I think I might go… lie down for awhile…" Canas stood up. He felt perfectly fine… He just… Canas looked over at Erk as Priscilla handed him some medicine and instructed him when to take it and how much. Canas closed his fist around it and smiled at Priscilla, truly touched by her kindness. "Thank you."

As he walked past Erk, Canas reached out and lightly touched Erk's wrist. "I'm very sorry," he murmured, barely audible. Then he continued to go down the hallway, towards the kitchens, as if making for a glass of water. He needed to find Serra and figure out if he should even be doing anything towards his goal of seducing Erk. Why did he have to go and have a stupid conscience anyway?

"Wait, Canas!" Erk came up beside Canas. Canas stopped.

"I…" Erk looked down at his own hands and cleared his throat. "What you assumed… The other day…"

"Yes…?" Canas held his breath, hoping against hope that what he _thought_ Erk was going to say was truly what he was _going_ to say.

Bartre and Dorcas came by with a load of boxes, probably for Merlinus's stock, and Erk moved closer to Canas to let them pass by.

"Well… That is… I don't know anything about things like this, but…" Erk looked up at Canas, and Canas suddenly thought of Raven and Lucius again. His gaze grew more intense and Canas worried somewhere in the back of his head that Erk would be scared off again, but Erk seemed to be drawn in by the intense look, and seemed to draw even closer, so that they were both leaning against the wall, looking at each other.

"Know about what…?" Canas asked.

"About…" Erk's voice had suddenly gone very breathy, as if he was daydreaming but trying to focus on staying in reality. "About… things like…"

Canas gently cupped Erk's face in one hand, while he moved to press Erk against the wall, his other hand placed on the wall next to him. Erk's gaze flickered to the hand, but Canas brought his attention back to him by lifting Erk's chin and moving in to kiss him. Erk's hands went up to Canas's chest, his fingers locking into the fabric of the robe as the aching of anticipation rose within him. Their lips met slowly, slower than Canas would have liked, but somehow everything around them seemed to be moving at that same very, very slow pace. All that Canas knew was Erk, and all that Erk knew was Canas. As the kiss deepened, a fire grew in Canas's loins, and the kiss grew more intense. Erk was hungry for his kiss, and he was pressing up against Canas in a way that was driving Canas mad. Canas pressed back, feeling as though he wanted nothing more than to melt into Erk. His hand moved from Erk's chin and soon became entangled in that soft, wavy violet hair he loved so much. Erk's hands disentangled from the front of Canas's robe and hooked around his neck.

Canas would have liked to continue, but he was jarred cruelly back into reality by a shrill voice crying, "Hah! I knew it!"

Both Erk and Canas jumped, and Erk placed one hand on Canas's chest, trying to push him away, while the other jumped to his collar, as though he feared it had been undone. As if Canas had had enough time to get to that. Canas reluctantly moved away from Erk, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes tiredly. Great, now everything was sure to be ruined. Thanks, Serra.

Erk cleared his throat and glowered at Serra. He carefully avoided looking at Canas.

"What are you doing here, Serra?" Canas asked, opening his eyes and trying to look cheery.

"It's a free hallway!" Serra retorted. "Awww, so you two are getting along great now, huh? Huh? Huh?"

"Serra, go away," Erk said, clearly annoyed. "It's not what it looks like."

"Oh, so you think it looks like a boy on boy make-out session, too, then?" Serra said wickedly. "You're lying! It was exactly what it looks like! What else could it be?"

"You don't know anything, you harpy."

Serra goggled at Erk.

"What did you call me?" she shrieked. "How dare you?! After all I've done for you!"

"And what's that, again? Open the door when I'm half-naked?! Talk my ear off about meaningless conversations you've had? Oh, wait, how about all your stories of being a gods-damned saint!" Erk poked a finger at Serra's collarbone. "Let me tell you! I've had enough of you! Leave me the hell alone!!!"

Erk stormed off down the hall, and Canas stood and watched helplessly as he went. Serra was fuming.

"How dare he???" she cried with a stamp of her foot. "Grrr… How DARE he???"

"Calm down, Serra…" Canas said, putting up his hands as though that would help. The smile on his face twitched nervously.

"He's going to get it now!" Serra declared with a fierce glare in the direction that Erk had retreated to. Canas gulped nervously.

"Now, now, Serra… How is being mean going to help?" Canas said passively. The last thing he wanted was to have Serra hurting Erk in some way. Serra spun angrily around to face Canas full-on, but then she seemed to stop in her tracks. She stared at Canas thoughtfully for a long moment, and then her expression took on a decidedly more iniquitous turn. Canas didn't like it. Her eyes gleamed horribly and her lips curled into a cruel smile. She put her thumb and forefinger to her chin to better express her evil thoughts.

"I have… the most bestest plan… **EVER**."

Canas felt nothing but deep foreboding…

**Read and Review. I'll love you forever. Tell me what you think. Cause this couple is causing me four kinds of hell. FOUR. **


	4. Serra's Plan

**Winning Over Erk**

**By Bishop Sasarai**

**Summary: **Canas wants no more regrets in his life, so when he falls for Erk, he has plans to win him over. Will his plans backfire, or succeed?

**Pairings: **Canas/Erk

**Notes:** Thanks for the reviews!!! And you know, loin **_is_ **a funny word. It makes me think of…meat.

**Winning Over Erk**

**Part Four: Serra's Plan**

The very next day, Canas sat in the castle's dining room for breakfast. He was staring at his book (A Condensed History of the World) over his long-congealed eggs and cold hash browns, but not really reading it—a first for him! He didn't think very much of Serra's newly hatched plan (which he'd tried very hard to deter her from, but she had the tenacity of a bulldog when it came to these things)… At the very best, he was fairly sure he wouldn't be able to carry out her little farce. He wasn't very good at acting.

"Okay, he's coming!" Serra hissed, rushing into the room with that strange grace of hers. "Make it look _convincing_!" With that last statement, she ducked behind a counter, which was conveniently close to the table Canas hadn't chosen to sit at. Canas cast a nervous glance at the woman sitting next to him.

"You should get out while you still can," Canas told her. "Serra's a bit…overzealous when she puts her mind to something."

"Quit talking nonsense and put your arm around me before I knock your brains out," Vaida commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," Canas complied meekly. He felt extremely awkward. Looking off to the side, he saw his book and decided that if he began reading it, he might be able to block off what he was supposed to be doing… He reached out for the book, but Vaida halted his hand's advance by snatching the book and tossing it over her shoulder.

"If Umbriel were here…" she said in her menacingly deep voice. Canas began to sweat and he tugged at his collar anxiously. With his eyes casting about for anything but Vaida to lock onto, his gaze fell on Erk, who was now looking at him with one eyebrow quirked up and the faintest of unbelieving smiles. He actually came over, and Canas had thought he'd flee for sure! Was this hope welling in his heart? They say hope springs eternal…

"Hello Canas, Vaida," Erk nodded at them both as he set his own breakfast down and sat across from Canas. The glance he shot Canas was clearly asking what the hell he was doing. Canas shrugged helplessly. Vaida gripped Canas's shoulder tightly. He swore she had the strength of three men. Or better yet, a bear. Yes, a bear. She had quite the grip for a woman.

"Hey," Vaida grunted her response. "Aren't we a cute couple, or what?"

Erk stared.

Then his lips twitched upwards at the corners. Then he laughed. An honest-to-goodness, straight-from-the-heart laugh. Canas felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. He couldn't help but smile. He'd never heard Erk's laugh so full of mirth before. Suddenly there was a queer tugging at his heart that he'd never felt before. Unconsciously, his hand came up to his chest. It was the strangest feeling he'd ever experienced. It felt like it was related to the feelings he'd experienced while watching Erk sleep, but much stronger. It didn't last that long, but it was definitely a potent feeling.

Erk wiped tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry. You _were_ joking, right?"

Vaida glared. "No."

Canas ducked his head to hide his smile at Erk's skeptical expression. Erk looked as though he wanted to laugh again, but was afraid of hurting Vaida's feelings. After all, she had the strength to effortlessly snap all of Erk's bones like twigs. Canas couldn't blame Erk for not saying anything more on the subject.

Erk began eating his breakfast, but he still looked amused by the situation. It wasn't hard to tell, since he kept grinning for absolutely no reason. Vaida failed to notice this. She smiled smugly.

"We _are_ a couple," she insisted, since she had not heard Erk say he believed it.

"Okay," Erk said, though his tone showed quite clearly he thought Vaida was out of her mind. Erk opened a book of his own to read, resting his chin carelessly in his hand and beginning the process of ignoring Vaida. Vaida's eyebrow jerked upward violently.

"What's up with you two?" she growled.

"Huh?" Erk looked up quickly, thinking she meant something else. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you always _reading_?! I've seen this guy here," she pinched Canas painfully in the arm--"Ouch!" Canas rubbed his arm—"Reading on the battlefield! The _battlefield_! That could cost you your life!"

"And we all know how much you care for Canas and his life," Erk said dryly. He really wasn't buying it. So, Vaida narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're one… difficult kid, aren't you?" she sneered. She didn't look in the least pleased with how things were going. But she didn't take well to losing, and she was going to do her damnedest to win this…competition. Or whatever it was. To her vexation, Erk did not seem in the least fazed by her patented glare of DOOM ™. And that only served to annoy her even more. So, she did the last thing anybody at the table expected. She turned to Canas—who had retrieved his previously thrown book and was looking down at its crooked spine and bent pages in dismay—and kissed him.

Erk's gaze was no longer on his book, and he lifted his head from its former place resting on his palm and stared in astonishment.

Canas took the kiss better than he might've thought he would; had someone asked him what his reaction would be, his thesis couldn't have been more different than his true reaction. He kissed her back. He was very chaste about it; it certainly didn't involve any tongue—but he was mainly doing it to see if Erk would respond in his favor. He was rather hoping Erk would yell, and pull them apart. But, he should have known better—and did, actually, but one could hope—that Erk was not that type of person. Even though the kiss was chaste, and not all that long, either, Canas saw a flicker of hurt in Erk's expression, just before the younger mage looked quickly down at his book as if he didn't care what two old people did together.

That brief glimmer of hurt in Erk's eyes also hurt Canas. Again, he found himself regretting his actions. How was it that in pursuing something—namely that _someone_ called Erk—that he wouldn't regret, he found himself… so _full _of regrets? Oh, the irony… Vaida seemed pretty pleased with the reaction she'd evoked from Erk, but Canas was… ashamed of himself.

Quickly, Canas opened his battered book to a random page and tried to immerse himself in it. But, alas, it was not to be. Vaida slammed it onto the table with her hand. Canas sighed and looked to his "girlfriend."

"Now what?" he asked. Wasn't he allowed to read anymore?

"I want to teach you more about wyverns."

"Really?" Canas perked up. This was something he was interested in learning more about.

"Yes. We can even take a ride on my Umbriel…" Was it just Canas, or did she look seductive all of a sudden?

"Hmph."

Both Canas and Vaida looked at Erk. He was still looking down at his book, but once he had their attention, he raised his eyes to Canas's.

"So... Is this your wife then?" Erk asked. Out of any of the things he had expected to hear from Erk at that moment, that was the last one he'd have predicted. He couldn't think of anything to say for a moment. He didn't much care if Serra's little ruse fell through… But he did care that Erk that Erk was bringing up his marriage. Was this holding them back? But Canas didn't have time to contemplate. Vaida was grabbing his ear painfully. Was she acting like his mother?!

"You have a _wife_?!" she growled.

"W-wait! This isn't… I'm not as horrible as it looks… Well, actually, I'm worse than it looks…" Canas sighed. "Well, it's just that we married in convenience. My wife is as fond of me as I am of her—which is to say, neither of us is very fond of each other… She doesn't like men who are intelligent and can read… Bartre is more her kind of man. But it was an arranged marriage; neither of us really had a choice, and we didn't _hate _each other. It could have been much worse." Like _Serra_ worse. "She sees other men," he added. "I never really minded, because I'm not… Well, the two of us just aren't compatible."

"Sounds horrible," Vaida said, and she looked horrified as she moved away from Canas. Was that disgust in her expression? "What kind of people are you?"

"Oh hey, there!" Serra's perky voice caused everyone to turn to look at her from where she'd popped up from her hiding place. "Um, hey, Canas? Can I talk to you?"

"Me?" Canas pointed at himself. "But I…"

"Come ON!" she flounced forward and grabbed his arm. Canas got up and followed her reluctantly around a corner.

"You're messing up _everything_!" she hissed.

"Me?!" Canas said, pushing his monocle up because it had started to slip. "Everything that's happening right now is on account of you! I never wanted to lead that… that woman on!"

"You didn't lead her on!" Serra insisted. "We're just trying to get Erkie jealous!"

"This is the stupidest…"

"Fine. If Vaida doesn't work out…" the girl was already thinking of her next torture. Canas was desperate.

"Please, Serra. You're only making it worse! If I could just talk to him…"

"No way! What's that gonna do? Besides, I have to make him suffer some more for calling me a harpy!"

Canas would have dearly liked to tell her that she _was_ a harpy, but he was afraid to find out what she'd do next if he did so. Instead, he tried a different tactic.

"Listen, Serra. Haven't you ever heard the saying that revenge is a dish best served cold?"

"No. And it sounds _stupid_."

Gah. He was all out of ideas now.

"Hey guys! What's going on?" A cheerful male voice cut in. Canas turned around to see Wil standing there, looking clueless. "Why're you two standing there whispering at each other?"

"Ooh, Wil!" Serra bounced over to his side. "I have a job for you!"

Canas slapped a hand to his face in resignation.

-CE-

Back at the table, Vaida drummed her fingers on the table.

Erk pored over his book.

Vaida continued to drum her fingers on the table.

Erk continued to pore over his book.

"So…"

Erk looked up at Vaida.

"You seein' anyone?"

-CE-

"Okay, here's the plan…" Serra, Wil, and Canas were now in a huddle, their heads knocked against each other. Wil was grinning like an idiot, while Canas looked like he'd rather be elsewhere. Serra had a wicked glint in her eyes that Canas hoped he'd never see again. "Wil is going to start talking about how great Canas is. Like, say something about his eyes. And his hair. I know he's not half as beautiful as me, but just imagine that he is, okay, Wil?"

"Okay!" Wil nodded enthusiastically. "How about, 'Canas has the sexiest eyes…they… Erm… They're so dark and... sexy.' Wow, this feels weird!" Wil looked at Canas's eyes to better describe them. "I've never talked about someone's eyes before." Still peering at them, he said, "Well, they _are_ a pretty color. Is it dark purple?"

"Yes."

"That's really cool. I wonder what colour Erk's eyes are? I've never really been close enough to him to really know…"

"Violet," Serra and Canas said in unison.

"Jinx!" Serra shrieked.

"You've been that close?" Canas asked.

"Of course! Erkie was my bodyguard, you know!" Serra said indignantly. "Besides, how could he resist looking at me… With this petite little body, and my cute hair… Eeee! I'm so cute!"

Wil was now looking at her. "Really? I've seen cuter."

Serra glared at him and smacked him on the forehead. "You don't know any better! You're just a country bumpkin!" She was silent a moment before venturing, "Who's cuter?"

"Well, I think Lady Lyndis…"

"Ew. No. Ugly. Who else?"

"Erm, well, I think Rebecca…"

"Ugh. No way. Too wanna-be! Who else?"

"Rath?"

"…" Serra stared at him with raised brows. "No way. No man is prettier than me."

"Not even Lucius?" Canas couldn't resist asking.

"Oh, yeah…" Wil mumbled his agreement as though he was really mulling it over. "He's quite pretty. Like a girl. Better than most girls."

"Shut up!" Serra said, smacking Wil in the forehead again, and Canas got her staff to his gut.

"Oof!"

"All right. Wil is going to say that Canas's eyes are dark and velvety as the dusk. Talk about falling into them. It sounds romantic." Serra instructed Wil. Wil nodded doubtfully.

"All right…"

"And Canas," she turned to him with her evilly glittering eyes. How could someone so small be so…scary? "You are going to respond in kind. Say something romantic about Wil's eyes."

"But I'm doing eyes," Wil pointed out.

"Fine. Say something romantic about something about Wil," Serra said, exasperated. Canas blinked at the badly worded statement, but thought better of saying anything aloud. He merely nodded meekly. Serra smiled in triumph. "All right, boys! Let's go to work!"

As they walked away from Serra—finally!—Wil turned to Canas and muttered, "Why does she say 'let's?' She's not doing anything."

-CE-

Canas and Wil hung around the kitchens when it came to be dinner time. Wil cheerfully chatting away, Canas reading a book. When Wil spotted Erk coming, he poked Canas in the ribs so that he'd put down his book. Canas sighed and closed the book. Really, there wasn't time enough in his day. Especially from the moment Serra had taken an interest in his life.

"Oh, Canas…" Wil sighed, looking into Canas's eyes with a surprisingly convincing look in his warm brown eyes. "You're eyes are so beautiful. They're so dark and velvety, like the sky at dusk. I could just fall into them…"

"And Wil…" Canas was not quite as convincing as he coughed into his fist in embarrassment. Wil reached over and put his palm on the offending hand, pushing it gently to the table. His eyes flashed as he urged Canas to keep going. "And Wil, your nose is so straight and symmetrical..."

_Woooo… _

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed.

Wil gazed into Canas's eyes with that convincing look for another silent moment. Then he bent forward and his shoulders began shaking. Canas looked around, embarrassed. Half the company was in the room, and they were all staring. Canas would have coughed into his fist again, but Wil still had it under his own hand. So he reached up to adjust his monocle, his cheeks now flaming in his mortification.

Wil, meanwhile, made a valiant effort to stifle his laughter as he straightened up again. But he couldn't seem to quit dissolving into fits of giggles. Canas averted his gaze, because if he kept watching Wil laugh, he too, was going to burst into laughter. His gaze met Erk's, from halfway across the room, and Erk's eyebrow was quirked upward. Canas shrugged.

Erk nodded his head in the direction of Serra, who was glaring at Canas from a table at the other end of them room. Canas's helpless smile and shrug was all Erk needed for an answer. He rolled his eyes, and went over to her table.

**Leaving off here, because I'm evil. Keep reading and reviewing, everyone! And be patient! It's almost done! **


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